Improvement in exercising-machines



W.. M. MARSHALL. lEXERCISIN'G-IVIACIIIN'F.

Patented June 26.1877.

ff aan Attorney N. PETERS. FHOTLLITH-OGRAPHER, WASHINGTDN. S C.

UETTEE STATES PATENT @Errea WILLIAM M. MARSHALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN EXERCISING-MACHINES.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,338, dated June 26, 1877; application led November To all whom it may concer/n:

Beitknown that I, WILLIAM M. MARSHALL, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Exercising Apparatus and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sid-e elevation ofthe device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top View of the same in service and lengthened. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of one of the handles. Fig. 4 is a section thereof in line a' w, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a strip or rod of elastic material, and handles at the ends thereof, which ,handles are to be grasped and the strip or rod bent in bow-form, the resist-A ance and resilience of which are rendered available for purposes of exercise, expansion of the chest, and purposes of calisthenics generally.

lt also consists of the handles, so formed that the thumbs will have easy bearings thereagainst.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a long rod or strip of steel, wood, or other material, which, though elastic so as to be bent into the form of a bow or curve, is inelastic in the direction of its length. To each end of the rod there is firmly secured a handle, B, which is preferably of round or bulbous form, so as to be easily and tightly grasped, and tbe portion against which the thumbs will become in contact are flattened, as at a, made to form bearings for the thumbs during the exercising operations.

When the device is in its normal position, or not in service, the rod A and handles B extend in a right line, as shown in Fig. l.

The operation is as follows: The handles Vends of the rod are then drawn inwardly or toward each other, so as to bow ,the rod, as shown'in Fig. 2, and this operation has a tendency to throw back the shoulders and expand the chest, when the lungs may be ininated, the beneficial eifects of which are evident. .When the rod is relieved of strain, owing to its resilience, it returns to its rightlined shape, and by alternately bowing the rod and allowing it to straighten, the arms, shoulders, and chest will be exercised in a gentle but powerful manner.

During the manipulation of the device the fingers will grasp the handles B B and the thumbs will lie along and against the dattened faces a, thereof, whereby the hands will not slip, and the thumbs will have greater` purchase and power during the working of walking, during which greater good may be4 accomplished by rocking the body, and there are numerous other advantageous applications thereof. Y

If desired, the faces of the handles may be cushioned with suitable soft material, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. l, so as to ease the pressure of the thumbs against the handles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The rod A, made of elastic material, but non-elastic in the direction of its length, and the( handles B B, combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The elastic rod A, non-elastic in the direction of its length, in combination with the handles B B, formed with bearing-faces a a.

for the thumbs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WM. M. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM, A. P. GRANT. 

